7 Reasons Your Computer is Running Slowly

Say goodbye to spinning pinwheels

You know what sucks? That moment when you’re all "Hurry, hurry," and your computer is like “Chillax...I'm gonna take my time here."

Here, the seven reasons it’s running so slowly--and what you can do about it.

You’re running an old OS

When you get a little pop-up saying it’s time to upgrade your operating system, don’t ignore it. Here’s why: Manufacturers are constantly fixing computer and software bugs to help things run a bit more smoothly, so you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't download the upgrade. Just be sure to back up your machine before you start.

Your Photos Are Slowing Your Roll

You’ve got how many digital pics? 42,000? Yeah, your hard drive may be outta room, which can make things crazy slow. Try not to let it get to that point by regularly monitoring the total storage and taking small steps to free up space like emptying your trash can or uninstalling old, unused applications. As for those photos, invest in an external hard drive or, better yet, upload them to a cloud-based service like Dropbox or Google Photos.

A NEIGHBOR IS PIRATING YOUR WI-FI

Two words: Password protect. You’d be surprised how easy it is for someone to tap into your network, start streaming Netflix and cause that spinning pinwheel of death to appear. To find out if your Wi-Fi is secure, look for a lock icon next to its name. Then, follow this handy guide.

YOU’RE RUNNING TOO MANY PROGRAMS AT ONCE

Woah, overachiever! Cut your machine some slack and free up some random access memory (also known as RAM). Basically, this is what your computer needs to think clearly. If you’re running too many programs at the same time, your machine--much like a human being would--starts to feel overwhelmed.

YOUR DESKTOP IS A DISASTER

Mo’ desktop icons, mo’ problems. Take five minutes to tidy up.

YOUR MACHINE CAUGHT A COLD

Hey, we’ve all fallen for those “click this link right now or you’ll be sorry” emails. Symptoms of a virus or malware on your machine include lots and lots of pop-ups (this is especially true for PC users) and, you guessed it, slow operation. A plan for at-home treatment: Download a free antivirus program that will scan for infections.

IT JUST NEEDS A DIGITAL DETOX

Beauty sleep is important. And sometimes, your computer needs some time to herself. Restarting and shutting down gives it time to install updates, take a break from a buggy program, or simply cool down. As Carrie Bradshaw famously said, sometimes “the best we can do is breathe and reboot.”